Set Of Five Porcelain Bowls With Lids And Their Saucers From Mikawachi (hirado), Japan,

Set of five lidded bowls and their saucers made of Mikawachi (Hirado) porcelain – Japan, Meiji period, circa 1890–1915

Japan – Mikawachi (Hirado) Manufactory, Nagasaki Prefecture.
Meiji period, circa 1890–1915.
Complete set of five lidded bowls and their saucers in fine polychrome porcelain, bearing the red mark “Hirado-zō – Mikawachi.”

A rare and elegant set consisting of five lidded bowls with their five original saucers, crafted in the prestigious Mikawachi (Hirado) workshops, one of Japan’s most renowned manufacturers for the exceptional quality of its porcelain.

Each piece is crafted from remarkably fine, almost translucent porcelain, offering great lightness while retaining a perfect resonance. The decoration, entirely hand-painted, features magnificent chrysanthemums, peonies, stylized flowers, and butterflies, harmoniously distributed across the bowls, lids, and saucers.

The vibrant polychrome glazes create a subtle relief that delicately highlights the flowers. The soft greens, iron reds, purples, and turquoise blues attest to a perfect mastery of the firing process and a refinement characteristic of the finest Japanese productions of the late 19th century.

Each piece bears the mark “平戸造 三川内 ” (Hirado-zō – Mikawachi), meaning “Made in Hirado – Mikawachi,” guaranteeing its origin at this famous factory in Nagasaki Prefecture, renowned since the 17th century for the incomparable quality of its porcelain.

Intended for the tea ceremony or refined receptions, this set stands today as a remarkable testament to the Japanese art of living during the Meiji era. Complete sets of this quality, preserved with their five original lids and five original saucers, have become particularly sought after by collectors of Japanese porcelain.

In very good overall condition, with no apparent restoration, showing only a few minute signs of wear consistent with its age.

Origin: Japan, Mikawachi (Hirado) factory, Nagasaki Prefecture.
Period: Late Meiji – Early Taishō periods, circa 1890–1915.

Composition:

• 5 bowls
• 5 lids
• 5 saucers